"The
Prospects for the Growth of Buddhism in Germany
and other Western Countries", by Agganyani (Christa Bentenrieder)

The Keynote address delivered
by Agganyani, Secretary General, Deutsche Buddhistische Union at the
public meeting held on September 21, 2002 at Savsiripaye, Colombo
to commemorate the 50th Anniversary of the founding of the German
Dharmaduta Society (1952 -2002).

I feel greatly
honoured to be here, to be with you on this meaningful day, on the
50th anniversary of the German Dharmaduta Society. Your kind invitation
made it possible for me to come to your country to attend this jubilee
and to stand in front of you now. So, let me first express my sincere
and deep thanks to you for your generous invitation.

What a magnificent
jubilee! For me there are several points to remember and appreciate
on this very special anniversary.

Great vision

Exactly 50 years
ago, on 21st September 1952, an outstanding personality succeeded
in realising a great deed. It was Asoka Weeraratna, a merchant by
profession, but in his heart and mind a deep, sincere dhammaduta worker.
He dedicated his life to the Dhamma and for the spread of the Dhamma
in Europe. And lastly he himself renounced the lay life to lead the
noble life of a Bhikkhu as Venerable Dhammanisanthi. Sadhu, sadhu,
sadhu!

Under the great
vision of Asoka Weeraratna, the Lanka Dhammaduta Society later renamed
the German Dharmaduta Society - was founded on this 21st September,
50 years ago, as a useful vehicle to spread and transmit the Dhamma
to the West, to bring the Buddha's noble message of peace, happiness,
liberation, and the way to attain them to Europe.

I am extremely
thankful that Asoka Weeraratna chose Germany as the main base of his
Dhammaduta work in Europe. Perhaps we Germans had this good fortune
because of the deep regard the Buddhists in Sri Lanka had for our
famous German Maha Thera Nyanatiloka, who became the first patron
of the Society, and the sincere interest of some respected persons
and leaders of the initial Buddhist Associations and Societies in
Germany, who paved the way for Asoka Weeraratna to send the first
Buddhist Mission to Germany.

History of
Buddhism in Germany

I want to go a
little bit further back into the History of Buddhism in Germany. It
is about one hundred years ago that Buddhism came to Germany successfully.
A fruitful ground was prepared by the philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer
who had great influence on the first German Buddhists.

Early examples
of deeply inspired people were Anton Gueth, the later Ven. Nyanatiloka,
Karl Eugen Neumann, the famous Indologist and translator from Austria,
Dr. Paul Dahlke, a physician from Berlin, and Georg Grimm. Their influence
is still very much alive in present-day Germany. The accurate translations,
summaries, Pali-grammer and the Buddhist dictionary of Ven. Nyanatiloka
Maha Thera are in use even now - not only in Germany they have become
something like an international standard.

Neumann's poetic,
artistic and sensitive translations into German are still appreciated
and read by many, although his ancient German is sometimes hard to
understand for young people. Georg Grimm's school, the "Ancient
Buddhist Community" flourished in Bavaria, and his books are
still available.

Das Buddhistisches
Haus in Berlin - Frohnau

Paul Dahlke, the
medical doctor, influenced mostly rational thinking people like scientists.
With his exemplary Buddhist life and his publications and interpretations
of the Pali texts he inspired many German people. His greatest achievement
undoubtedly is the Buddhist House in Berlin-Frohnau. Founded in 1924
it developed into a sacred place of living Dhamma. It was built in
an interesting architectural style, a mixture of an upper-middle-class
German Villa of the Twenties and an East-Asian Buddhist temple with
meaningful symbols found even in the huge forest-like garden.

Whenever I visited
the Buddhist House in Berlin, I was again and again amazed to enter
this peaceful place on the wooded hill, in the lively and hectic city
of Berlin, through the beautiful carved stone-gate, reminiscent of
Sanchi stupa's gateways, to climb up the steep staircase leading from
the Samsaric world to something higher, nobler, peaceful, Nibbanic.

After Dahlke's
death in 1928, the house fell into a long sleep under the non-Buddhist
heirs of Dahlke. Only in 1957, when the German Dharmaduta Society
purchased the premises, the living Dhamma re-entered the house, which
then was converted into a Vihara. Since that time, without interruption
these 45 years now, it has remained a true home for the Sangha. The
monks, mainly from your country, living there, have inspired many
German people who visited this place.

Students using
the big library, school children listening to the introduction of
Buddhism, meditators following carefully and silently the instructions.
All seekers of an alternative way of life, in search of the truth,
of real happiness and inner peace. The Buddhist House has become the
central place to visit for Theravada-Buddhism in Germany and Central
Europe. Thanks to Sri Lanka, thanks to the German Dharmaduta Society,
thanks to all of you!

In July 2001,
nine years after my first visit, I came to the Buddhist House again.
In the meantime Tissa Weeraratna had taken over the management of
the Vihara. He had invited the Executive Board of the German Buddhist
Union to the Buddhist House for its meeting. Having met him several
times before and having heard about his enthusiastic and energetic
work for the Vihara, we could assure ourselves of the successful and
ongoing renovation works and his selfless engagement in favour of
the Dhamma.

Buddhism as
the natural law of the mind, the law of cause and effect

I often talked
to Tissa Weeraratna about the understanding and presentation of the
Dhamma. I share his strict opinion that Buddhism must be based on
total purity and morality and should be preferably introduced to Western
new-comers as the natural law of the mind, the law of cause and effect,
scientific and practical, both, but purely Buddhist - that means not
mixed with cultural elements, not with too many rituals, not mixed
with other religions and beliefs, not with modern Western psychology,
esoteric, new-age, or feminism as we can observe everywhere today.

The Buddha's Dhamma
is the Dhamma - the truth - and cannot be adapted or possessed neither
by a modernist kind of spirituality nor by Sri Lanka nor Germany nor
any other country in the world. The truth is true for everybody -
everywhere - any time. What has to be adapted are the outer forms
resulting from our daily life and experience in the present-day world.

Examples should
be given for understanding the Dhamma, which itself is already complete
and perfect. The main problems of mankind and the obstacles for peace
and happiness are the same as they were 2500 years ago in ancient
India. There has been no fundamental change. And our minds are working
in the same way since the beginning of time.

The need for
a full Order of the Sangha in the West

There is something
I have to confess today: For a long time, like most Westerners, I
did not realise that for the successful promotion of Theravada Buddhism
we need the full Order of the Sangha. Also in Germany we need: Bhikkhus
and Bhikkhunis, Upasakas and Upasikas. Monks and nuns represent the
life of the Buddha in an authentic way, the noble ideal of renunciation,
a life fully and uncompromisingly dedicated to the noble search for
the end of suffering, for final liberation and the highest spiritual
value: Nibbana.

Striving hard
for this aim, they need the support of devoted lay-people. This idea
is not very common in Western countries. People still have to learn
why and how to support these strict followers of the Buddha. Because
there is almost no understanding, respect and support for Buddhist
monks and nuns in the West, and in Germany, almost no monks and nuns
exist in this part of the world. It is a vicious circle and a great
pity! How can we learn about the high value of the monk's or nun's
ideal than from our Asian Buddhist friends?

I myself have
received my main inspiration in Myanmar (Burma) where hundreds of
thousands of monks and nuns live and are well supported. The few Westerners,
who ordain and try to lead a proper monk's or nun's life, mostly fail
when they return to the West. Why? Because, as I said, there is almost
no understanding and support there to maintain the Sangha, as done
in traditional Buddhist countries.

Celibacy and
renunciation

Celibacy and renunciation
are considered as weakness in the West, because here it seems as if
the person has failed in the worldly life. It is the opposite in the
East, where spirituality and renunciation have a long tradition. So
my sincere thought is, we indeed need the active help of the traditional
Theravada Buddhist countries like Sri Lanka and of associations like
the German Dharmaduta Society. The only Theravada monasteries in Central-Europe
which are running well, are a few Thai monasteries, mainly because
of the immense support of the Thai people. Fortunately, they do not
support only their own Thai monks but also Western monks.

In the Buddhist
Vihara in Berlin it is somewhat similar, but also very special. The
House and the resident community in the Vihara are dependent to a
high degree on Sri Lankan support and your aid. Now, along with Venerable
Punnaratana, the abbot and a living example of loving kindness, and
other Sri Lankan or Asian monks, there is the German Samanera Santuttho
and from time to time other Western monks like Ven. Bhikkhu Bodhi,
Ven. Dhammadipa, Ven. Ashin Ottama and Ven. Analayo who come and stay
there for a while. And you and your countrymen welcome them all. Through
this welcome, I feel your great generosity, sincerity and credibility.
And I think this an extremely important step and deed.

Honest mutual
cooperation required

If the Asian monks
only stay among themselves in the Diaspora, things will never ever
change in these western countries. In spite of all the difficulties
that exist in the West because of different temperaments, education,
cultural backgrounds and habits, I am sure Buddhism can only be transmitted
successfully and flourish by honest mutual cooperation. Germans can
learn so much from Sri Lankan people, and I am also sure, that the
Germans have some different character strengths, which are also worthy
of use in the service of the Dhamma.

As a practical
example I would like to again mention Ven. Santuttho. As I know him,
he is deeply rooted in the Dhamma, which he learned in Sri Lanka and
he is deeply thankful for this highest gift of your people. Day after
day he works selflessly in the Buddhist House, humble and mainly in
the background of the office in order to write, translate, edit Buddhist
texts and books, to create and maintain websites, etc. You support
him, give him a place to live in, teach him the Dhamma and Vinaya,
and he in return serves to transmit the Dhamma to the people in Germany.
But mentioning only his name as an example, I am not in any way overlooking
or underestimating the contributions of all the others, without whose
mental, spiritual, material or physical support, the Buddhist Vihara
cannot flourish and may not even survive.

My deep gratitude
and thankfulness to all of them on behalf of the pious Theravada Buddhists
of Germany.

German Buddhist
Union

I am speaking
here today not only in my individual capacity but also as the Secretary
- General of the Deutsche Buddhistische Union (German Buddhist Union)
(DBU).

This year we commemorate
the 47th anniversary of the founding of the German Buddhist Union.
This by itself is nothing special. But our organisation is something
special within Europe. Without arrogance or pride I can say that our
Head -Association has set a good example and serves as a model for
other European countries. The German Buddhist Union is an umbrella-organisation
under which many Buddhist Associations and Societies are affiliated.
All Buddhist traditions are unified and work together. As you may
imagine, this cooperation is not always easy. Different traditions,
schools, canons and fundamental texts, different interpretations,
means and methods of various ways which all are said to lead to the
same final goal of Nibbana (Nirvana). But this goal and the great
vision of the establishment of Buddhism, though through a variety
of traditions, in Germany allow us to work together and overcome all
difficulties.

But, I have to
come to a special, interesting and problematic point. This German
Buddhist Union was founded as a cooperation or network of three Theravada
Buddhist associations in 1955. At that time Theravada Buddhism was
the dominant school of Buddhism in Germany. The various Mahayana schools
were rather unknown and had not yet been introduced. What a change
compared to the present!

In the 1960's
and 1970's especially the Zen groups boomed, in the 1980s and 1990s
Tibetan Vajrayana Buddhism began to boom. And more and more of these
new Buddhist groups became interested and began to join our German
Buddhist Union.

Theravada Buddhism
in Germany

So today out of
52 Buddhist associations under our umbrella, there remain only seven
pure Theravada associations and five open societies or seminar houses
with a great leaning towards Theravada. Two more Theravada associations,
including the Buddhist House in Berlin, have applied for membership
and hopefully will join soon. Counting the number of individual Buddhists
- we guess there is altogether a number of about 100.000 German Buddhists.
But one sadly sees that Theravada has become still more rare with
less than 10% of followers among the total number of Buddhists. For
me that is a warning signal. In order to preserve the original teachings
of the Buddha and to make them attractive to the Germans we have to
do something actively. Now.

Within the German
Buddhist Union, in order to work more effectively, we have organised
some working-groups or -teams: Three teams have been formed on the
lines of the main Buddhist traditions: a group of Japanese traditions,
a Tibetan Buddhist group, and a Theravada group. And in the light
of some important duties and aims of our Union other working-groups
have been formed, such as Engaged Buddhism, Buddhism in Schools, Inter-religious
dialogue, and future of the German Buddhist Union.

And there are
teams for preparation of our annual Buddhist Congress. This year our
congress will be held in Leipzig at the end of October, the first
time in Eastern Germany, where Buddhism is not very well-known, but
our strong aim is to present and promote Buddhism there as well.

Buddhism in
German Schools

I wish to stress
on the theme "Buddhism in Schools" and would like to convey
to you the happy news, that from next year - 2004 - onwards, Buddhism
will be introduced as a subject in Berlin primary schools. As Buddhism
is not recognised as an official religion in Germany, this development
i.e.making available Buddhism as a subject in school curricula, is
very significant.

We think that
it is very important to have the chance to teach and transmit basic
Buddhist values, Buddhist ethics, loving kindness, compassion, patience,
unselfishness and a responsible way of life, to the young generation.
Especially in this very difficult time of materialism, consumerism,
environmental crime, pollution and natural disasters, terrorism and
war, Buddhism receives an especially important position among the
religions.

Loss of confidence
in Christianity

Many Western people
have lost their confidence in Christianity and are searching for an
alternative and rational ways of leading a spiritual life. They are
also looking for guidance to lead a meaningful, happy life. More and
more Western people have become interested in Buddhism, especially
in meditation as a way to mental peace and calmness, and they convert
to Buddhism after a critical trial period. Well known Buddhists such
as the Dalai Lama or Thich Nhat Hanh are sources of inspiration and
have become very popular in the West. They are living examples of
mindfulness, compassion, tolerance and peace. Even non Buddhists in
the West give them high respect. This is a good development in my
eyes as it also prepares a fruitful soil for Theravada Buddhism, which
in my opinion enshrines these qualities in greatest purity and perfect
clarity.

Theravada Working
- Group

I have to come
back to the German Buddhist Union and its working-groups. In our Theravada
working-group we try to build a network of Theravada groups and individuals
and we often discuss how to promote Theravada Buddhism. We are on
the way to establishing an informative Theravada Website on the Internet,
that will also present the main Theravada events and highlights. A
Theravada newsletter is being distributed by e-mail to all interested
people.

We are printing
German Dhamma-books for free distribution, and costs of printing are
met through donations. The next two books have been printed with the
kind help of the Buddhist Publication Society (BPS) in Sri Lanka and
copies of these new books are expected to be sent to Germany in a
few days. These two books are: the new, expanded edition of the Pali-grammer
by Ven. Nyanatiloka, and "The Seven Contemplations of Insight"
by the late Ven. Matara Nyanarama Maha Nayake Thera (the former Meditation
Master at the Mitirigala Forest Hermitage).

Dhamma study
tour of Myanmar

Within the Theravada-working-group
I have organised a Dhamma-study-tour of Myanmar (Burma) where a free
study-course of Satipatthana Sutta, fundamental Abhidhamma and Vipassana
meditation is offered at "Sotag International Buddhist Academy"
in Sagaing. We are continuously seeking close contact and cooperation
with the traditional Buddhist countries and masters. We are convinced
that only a close relationship and willingness to learn more from
them, will uplift Theravada Buddhism in Germany to say nothing about
any personal success in attaining one of the Noble Aryan stages on
the way to Arahatship.

We have appointed
four internationally famous monks active in Germany namely the Venerables
Sayadaw U Nyanissara, Bhikkhu Bodhi, Ashin Ottama, and Dhammadipa
as members of the advisory board of our working-group.

Networking

Networking has
already begun, especially within and between Germany, Czech Republic,
Switzerland, Myanmar and Sri Lanka to some extent. We hope that this
cooperation will include other European and Asian countries soon,
will intensify and bring out noble results in future, the fruit of
the Dhamma: Nibbana, the highest bliss - available and attainable
for everyone, who is yearning and striving for it.

The German Buddhist
Union and especially our Theravada-working-group is keenly following
the celebration of today's anniversary of your German Dharmaduta Society.

We German Buddhists
will never forget what you have done for us. We all appreciate your
contribution to the spread of Buddhism in Germany, and to the Berlin
Buddhist Vihara, and we thank you out of the deepest gratitude of
our hearts.

May all of you
attain Nibbana soon as a reward for your generosity and promotion
of Theravada Buddhism in Germany.

Let Sri Lankans
and Germans follow the path of the Buddha together, hand-in-hand.